Future Self-Continuity and Psychological Well-Being in Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life and the Moderating Role of Moral Identity

Future self-continuity is crucial for mental health and social adaptation. Previous research has mainly focused on its direct influence on cognitive decision-making and goal pursuit, with little emphasis on its effect on psychological well-being. This study addressed the research gap by employing a questionnaire to examine the link between future self-continuity and psychological well-being in 890 Chinese college students, emphasizing the mediating effect of meaning in life and the moderating effect of moral identity. The findings indicated that future self-continuity directly predicts psychological well-being and indirectly contributes by enhancing meaning in life. Moral identity negatively moderated both pathways, making the positive impacts of future self-continuity on psychological well-being and meaning in life more pronounced in individuals with low moral identity and diminished in those with high moral identity. These findings highlight future self-continuity as a cognitive resource that fosters well-being by cultivating meaning in life, while also identifying moral identity as a boundary condition. This research reveals the mechanisms and boundary conditions linking future self-continuity to psychological well-being, offering actionable insights to enhance mental health in college students.